Move over unstructured fitness programmes consisting only of dance classes and treadmill runs—the young crop of Bollywood is lifting heavy, eating right, and training attention to mental well-being. Industry experts share how this lot is proving to be ideal role models for young fitness enthusiasts
Sharvari
‘Everything is based around strength’
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Suhana Khan performs unassisted chin-ups at Anti Gravity Studio
Week after week, Bollywood’s young actresses have put their athletic prowess on display. If Suhana Khan shared visuals of executing unassisted chin-ups, Sharvari had the fittest individuals attempting the push-up variations she learnt as part of her prep for an upcoming actioner. Shanaya Kapoor kicked off the year with 50-kilo deadlifts, while Ananya Panday flaunted her strength by sharing a video that showed her performing 120-kilo hip thrusts. Social media platforms may be peppered with fitness-related myths—like the claim that lifting heavy weights makes women ‘bulky’—but the industry’s “informed” actresses are having none of it. Unwilling to settle for ineffective and uninspiring routines, they’re hitting the gym with the intention of developing functional strength. Strength, says trainer Sahil Rasheed, is the crux that fitness science is based around.
Sahil Rasheed
“When we do an initial assessment with clients, we aim to understand what their one-rep max values are, which essentially is a means to gauge their strength by understanding the maximum weight they are able to lift in different exercises. Our entire programme is created around these values. This is how essential strength is to any routine. While there was once a focus on aesthetics alone, the young actors are now receptive to the knowledge that is being shared by their coaches. They understand that building muscle will help them in the long run. Also, being an actor is physically exhausting. Even in order to shoot daily, they need some basic strength. When they notice that they are lacking in these aspects, they’re eager to address them. Everything is related to physical strength,” says Rasheed, who has previously trained Janhvi and Palak Tiwari.
‘Pranayam is not offered by any other school of fitness’
Janhvi Kapoor executing a squat. Pics/Instagram
If you’re a gym freak, martial artiste, or long-distance runner, you’re likely to have avoided a yoga class because it is “too slow” to appeal to you. Why then are actors who’ve barely breached the age of 30 dedicated to their meditative practices? Anshuka Parwani, who trains a host of Bollywood celebrities, including Ananya Panday, says, “Yoga complements other components. While meditative work is not the only part of a yoga class, pranayam [practice] is something that no other school of fitness offers. It is correlated to [many benefits] one can reap, and teaches you to be present. Actors have hectic schedules, and breath-work helps them tap into the parasympathetic nervous system.”
Yasmin Karachiwala and Anshuka Parwani
Parwani says she has noticed a shift in the percentage of young actors practicing yoga, and highlights that there’s a prominent advantage of adopting a healthy lifestyle sooner in life than later. “When we talk about breath control, we actually teach you to be in control of it, instead of being controlled by it,” says Parwani, adding that the learning can be extended to all aspects of an individual’s life. “When you start sooner, you train your mind to be more aware of everything that you do in life. Also, it helps you learn what works for your body and what doesn’t. A [fitness] format may have umpteen benefits, but it may simply not work for you. The sooner you adopt what works for your body, the more you stand to benefit.”
As for pilates, trainer Yasmin Karachiwala calls the format the perfect “blend of stretch and strength”. “Considering the fact that dancing is [a big component of their job], they find that pilates helps them fix the imbalances in their bodies. Because it also trains the core, it helps them move better when they must pull off choreography. They also practice it because it helps keep injuries at bay.” Karachiwala finds the young generation’s approach to fitness refreshing because “being thin” is not their priority.
Furthering a discussion on mental well-being
Ananya Panday, who practices yoga, had started So Positive in 2019,
Five years after she launched her anti-bullying initiative, So Positive, Ananya Panday took it online last month to further discussion on mental health via a podcast series. Panday is one among a bevy of actors who have been calling attention to mental well-being, especially in a world where youngsters like her are victims of cyber-bullying. “I take pride in being a strong person because my father handles jokes very well. But, when your family is affected, you are too. I am thick-skinned, but I wonder what I would do if this [cyber-bullying] happened to my sister. People don’t realise that the things they say can ruin careers. I want to start a conversation so that those enduring it feel like they can also talk about it, and [need not endure it] alone. If I can provide a safe environment, I want to do that,” Panday had previously told mid-day.
A medical professional working in the industry reveals that fostering a healthy discussion around mental well-being among peers is proving to be beneficial for those she has worked with, and credits the young lot of actors for being aware of the importance of the issue.
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